


Consequences

by Sgt_Pepperony94



Series: Love and Magic [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Spoilers, Canonical Character Death, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Grief/Mourning, Multi, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-29
Updated: 2015-07-17
Packaged: 2018-04-01 21:19:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 21
Words: 20,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4034959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sgt_Pepperony94/pseuds/Sgt_Pepperony94
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The team try to deal with the aftermath of the events of Age of Ultron and everything that comes with it. T for Adult Themes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Breathe Me

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Consequences  
> Author: Sgt. Pepperony  
> Fandom: Avengers (MCU)  
> Rating: T for Adult Themes  
> Pairings: Tony/Pepper, eventual Steve/Wanda, among others.  
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers, or the music used.

Chapter One

_Ouch I have lost myself again,_   
_Lost myself and I am nowhere to be found,_   
_Yeah I think that I might break._   
_I've lost myself again and I feel unsafe._

The battle had been won, though not without cost. There was now a giant hole in the middle of Eastern Europe. Some dead civilians despite the Avengers best efforts. They had even lost one of their own.

Lying on the ground was Wanda Maximoff, curled into a ball next to her twin's dead form in the hospital bed. He looked so peaceful. Like he was just sleeping. Maybe she could find a way to bring him back to life. She was not entirely sure what limits her powers had but it was worth a shot.

Looking through the other side of the window was Steve Rogers. He did have a pang of guilt. This girl – he never really asked how old the twins were, for all he knew she was a woman – now had no one in the world. She looked so lost and scared and broken.

Common sense made him think that he should leave her there. She would only flip out. Then again, he and common sense had always been in a strained relationship.

"Wanda?" he asked opening the door.

"Go away," she growled.

"Come on, you shouldn't be in here."

"I'm not leaving him." While he had to admire her stubbornness, Steve knew that the nurses would try to get rid of Wanda, only less gently. He did not really want to picture that scene. Instead he picked her up. "No."

"If it is all the same with you Wanda, I think your brother wouldn't want you to spend the rest of your life staring at his corpse," he explained walking out of the morgue, her in his arms.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Just to the main control room. Everyone is there."

"I don't want to see anybody."

"Tough."

"You suck." Steve smiled. She at least had some semblance of a sense of humour. He knew there was no way of making her smile, but he could at least comfort her, or at least try to empathise with her. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a photograph. "You carry a photograph in your battle uniform Captain?"

"I carry it everywhere." Wanda looked at the date on the back: October 1943. "There's me. That is Agent Peggy Carter. Colonel Phillips. Howard Stark – Tony's father. And that is my best friend Bucky."

"Are all these people dead?"

"Phillips and Stark are. Peggy… she's got Alzheimer's disease so it depends on the day. Bucky… that is a lot more complicated."

"How complicated?"

"I thought he died. We were on a mission in 1944, and he fell. Very far. I thought until very recently that he was dead. Instead HYRDA were just using him as a weapon. When I thought he died, I just froze. Like I had lost the best half of me. Like I had lost my brother. I want to say it does get better, but truth be told, you still feel like there is something missing."

"Like what?"

"Just some void. Like there is a life that should have been led but didn't. Bucky could have gotten married, had kids and lived out the rest of his life happy. Instead he was tortured and frozen, only taken out when some person needed him to kill. Pietro could have had a full and happy life."

"Is this meant to be comforting because you are really doing a shit job?"

"I am just trying to say that I understand how you feel Wanda. 'Cause Bucky was all I had too."

At that point, the demeanour she had been holding up crumbled and she broke down in tears. Maybe taking her into public was a bad idea, so he diverted to the bunkers. He sat on the bed, rocking her gently as if she was a small child. Soon, the sobs turned to hiccups and Steve grabbed the bottle of water that he had gotten earlier from the bedside counter.

"Are you okay?" he whispered as she sipped the water.

"No." The eyeliner had ran down her face, her eye's puffy and swollen. "Do you believe in God Captain?"

"Please, call me Steve. Though to answer your question, yes, I do believe in God."

"If there really is a God Steve, then he would have let Pietro stay."

"It does not really work like that Wanda. But you know what, he went out like a hero, and I think you should be proud of him for that."

Wanda sniffed, "I am proud of him. Can I just…" Steve nodded and wrapped his arms around her. Tony later found them lying together, Wanda sound asleep on Steve's chest.

He dared not to make a comment.


	2. How to Save a Life

Chapter Two

_Step one, you say, "We need to talk."  
__He walks, you say, "Sit down. It's just a talk."_  
_He smiles politely back at you._  
 _You stare politely right on through._  
 _Some sort of window to your right,_  
 _as he goes left and you stay right._  
 _Between the lines of fear and blame,_  
 _you begin to wonder why you came._

Clint knows that Natasha does not like alcohol in her coffee, but even she would admit that she needed it. Hell, she did not even need the coffee. She would have happily drank it straight from the bottle had it not been in a place of work. Bruce Banner had decided leave the group without telling anyone where is was headed.

“He is going to be alright you know. Banner I mean,” he reassured sitting down around the giant conference desk. “He’s probably doing what he did after the whole Harlem incident: disappear for a while.”

“What until this whole thing blows over? This is not going to blow over anytime soon Clint. The out-of-control Hulk has been exposed, we have a walking JARVIS, Pepper is probably screaming down the phone at Stark right now, Jane is probably worried sick, we have a mess to deal with in the form of our new friend Wanda, Pietro is dead and someone who I thought really cared about me up and left.”

”Maybe that is why he left, because he cares about you Nat.”

“Everything just feels like it has gone to shit.” This wasn’t like Natasha to break her walls down and show how hurt she is, and granted she had a point. There were a few silver linings however.

“I know, but we saved the world. We managed to get the majority of the citizens out of Sokovia. The news people are going to love us again.”

“Is that all you care about?”

“You know I don’t give a crap about the news.”

“I wish Bruce thought the same.”

“As I said, he’s probably gone to Japan or Jamaica or Borneo. Somewhere far removed from civilisation.”

“Sort of reminds me back when Loki’s sceptre was playing around with us, making us aggressive. He said that being in Kolkata, he felt far removed. I guess you are right, but it did kind of hurt. After all this, we were going to move on with our lives. I don’t know where or how but we were going to move on somewhere.”

“You retiring? I never would have thought.”

“I never said retire but I guess seeing you with Laura and the kids, it made he want to have a somewhat normal life. He cannot have kids, but it doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t have had a good life. Maybe you are right though: maybe he thought I was better off without him.”

“Well, it is not as though he does not have a family to return to once he does emerge from the shadows.”

“Speaking of which, are you going straight back to the Farm?”

“Well, we have a shit ton of paperwork to fill out. Who knew S.H.I.E.L.D had a whole paperwork section for floating cities. Though yeah, I’m going on hiatus as an agent. Laura is due any week now so I need to spend time with my wife and kids.”

“I honestly don’t know who looked the most shocked: Rogers, Stark or Thor.”

“By the way, Thor owes Cooper and Lila a new Lego set.”

“Nathanial,” Natasha pondered.

“We did think about Nathan but it didn’t really have the same amount of letters as Natasha.”

“I say you save my name for the next one.”

“What if that one is a boy?”

“Keep trying.”

“I don’t think Laura would be too happy about that.”

“It’s fine. Nathanial is a good name.”

“What do you think of Nathanial Pietro Barton? I feel like I should dedicate my son’s name to the two bravest people I know.”

“If Laura doesn’t disapprove, then I think it is perfect.”

“Listen, just don’t tell Wanda yet. I think I might wait to introduce the two more formally, and it is my fault that he is dead.”

“No it isn’t Clint. He – quite bravely in my opinion – decided to save your life. Maybe he thought he would heal quickly and, even though I didn’t really know the guy, I don’t think either of you should have gone. Even though I know you would have done the same. The only thing we can do is ensure that his sister is well looked after. She’s one of us now.”

“Pietro could have been a valued member of the team as well. I almost regret thinking that I could shoot an arrow at the smart ass and no one would know.”

“I think we all would have known it was you Clint.”

“Well,” Natasha said grabbing her coffee. “To Pietro Maximoff. The Smart Ass we hardly knew.”

“To Pietro.”


	3. Pompeii

Chapter Three

_But if you close your eyes,  
__Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?_  
_And if you close your eyes,_  
 _Does it almost feel like you've been here before?_  
 _How am I gonna be an optimist about this?_  
 _How am I gonna be an optimist about this?_

“So… you uploaded JARVIS into this synthetic body?” Rhodey asked when he looked between Tony, Thor and the Vision. The four were still being checked out for injuries by the medical

“Yep,” Tony answered while nodding his head and trying to divert his gaze from his best friend.

“So after you uploaded a crapshoot A.I set on world destruction, you thought you would do the same again?”

“Yep.”

“Tony, are you out of your freaking mind?”

“He did help us save this world Colonel Rhodes,” Thor inputted. “Also, it was a trusted artificial intelligence unlike the one that would become Ultron.”

“Also, he can wield the Hammer,” Tony added. “If he can wiled the Hammer then I am putting a lot of trust into this guy.”

“Prove it.”

Thor lay Mjolnir on the table, the Vision lifted her up saying, “I do hope this is enough evidence for you Colonel Rhodes.”

“Whoa…” Rhodey replied looking in awe. “You know Pepper is going to kill you when she finds out.”

“Can I be there to witness this?” Thor asked.

“I think this is probably going to be the most difficult thing to explain,” Vision commented.

“Dude just sounds weird with JARVIS’s voice,” Rhodey thought.

“I haven’t even worked out what I am going to explain everything yet,” Tony sighed. “This is all my fault.” No one else said anything. “Thanks for the reassurance everybody.”

“I don’t really know what to say Tony,” Rhodey said plainly. “Granted, you did fix it.”

“Not without help.”

“Is that your way of saying you are thankful?” Thor asked.

“Yes. If anything, everyone but me was the real hero today.”

“I appreciate your humbleness Stark. I know that must have been painful for you to admit.”

“It wasn’t if I am going to be honest Thor, and you were right. I messed with things that I did not understand and look where it landed us.”

“Yet you understood it enough to create me,” Vision reassured, putting his hand on Tony’s shoulder. “The thing is that we all have to make mistakes in order to learn.”

“Don’t get me wrong, but building a murderbot is probably the worst thing I have ever done. I am not redeeming myself because of it.”

“Tony don’t be like that -” Rhodey said, however Tony just left the room. Thor went to go after him, before Rhodey stopped him, “Thor, just leave him to get it out of his system.”

Tony went to the bunkers to lie down, but found Steve lying down with Wanda asleep on his chest. He does not even need to see the run down eyeliner to know she had been crying. Steve was just staring at the ceiling, perhaps trying to get to sleep but his mind not being able to shut off.

Tony made the call not to disturb him. Steve probably was not in the mood to speak and he had a foreboding feeling that Wanda would only scream and tear out his eyeballs with her bare hands. He would let her to be honest.

Instead he went to the R&D labs. His hands needed to play


	4. La La La

Chapter Four

_Hush, don't speak.  
When you spit your venom,   
K_ _eep it shut I hate it._  
When you hiss and preach,   
About your new messiah 'cause your theories catch fire.   
I can't find your silver lining;   
I don't mean to judge.   
But when you read your speech, it's tiring.   
Enough is enough.

The quinjet had come to collect the Avengers the next morning. Clint, Tony, Steve and Natasha looked as though they had virtually no sleep at all. Now her face was clear of all makeup, Wanda’s eyes were surrounded by red. Thor gave a small sympathetic smile to her while Rhodey just nodded his head towards her in acknowledgment. The Vision seemed to be the only one in a relatively decent mood. Fury and Hill were just pacing around checking everything was in place. Rhodey had taken the War Machine suit and headed back the night before.

For most of the journey it was silent. Tony barely glanced in anyone’s direction, taking to his feet instead. Natasha had nodded off on Steve’s shoulder while the latter looked at the tablet device. It looked as though it was playing the rolling news. Which was not much except some singer died, a reality star did something stupid and then the Battle of Sokovia was on for at least half an hour before Steve had to shut it off.

Clint had taken to flying the plane now that he had his coffee. Thor was relaying the story of how he and Jane met to the Vision and Wanda. Only Vision was actually listening; Wanda was glaring almost angrily at Tony.

“We’re going to be landing in about thirty minutes,” Hill announced.

Tony finally looked up and stared right back at Wanda, only his was a face of remorse. Gently he asked, “You okay kid?”

“When I was ten, we were about to sit down to dinner. Then a shell hit our apartment building, killing our parents instantly. Pietro went and hid us under a bed. Then there was another shell, but this one did not explode. For two days we were trapped under that bed, waiting for it to kill us both. We could not even move in fear that the shell would be disturbed and kill us. Do you want to know where that shell came from?”

“I will hazard a bet at Stark Industries,” Tony answered, looking down at his shoes.

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You then go and build a robot set on human destruction. My brother is now dead thanks to you.”

“I’m sorry.”

“How good are your apologies Stark? They are not going to bring back my parents. They are not bringing Pietro back.”

“I know.”

“Wanda, come on. You know that it was not his fault,” Steve said interrupting. Natasha was blinking blearily on his should having been woken up by the sound of Wanda’s shouting. Thor was keeping well out of it. Vision thought the same.

“He went to save my life Wanda, if it was anyone’s fault it was mine,” Clint confessed.

Wanda ignored the other two men and continued a vitriol towards Tony, her eyes glowing a little red, “Do you know what it is like being trapped in a small space for an indeterminate amount of time, just waiting for the moment when you are going to die?”

“I do as a matter of fact,” Tony replied, this time not so apologetic. “I was stuck in a cave for three months, with the only thing keeping me alive being a basic arch reactor because I had metal from a shell, made by my own company lodged in my chest. So, yeah, I do understand completely how you feel Wanda.”

“Okay, enough the pair of you,” Natasha said, now standing between the two, though she turned primarily to Wanda. “I know you are angry, I get that you have lost all your family. However, the only person you should be blaming here is Ultron. He chose out of his free will that humanity must be exterminated just from looking on the internet. We’re not going to get through all this if all we’re going to do is rip into each other. Is that clear it everyone here?”

“Yes,” everyone else but Fury and Hill mumbled.

“Right. Stark, you now have a responsibility. Wanda. Meet your new daddy.”

“What?” they both replied, eyes wide.

“What?” asked Steve and Clint.

“Just a question,” Hill said. “Can I be there for when you tell Pepper this?”


	5. Dogwood Blossom

Chapter Five

_What happens when you're into deep to break?_  
Loneliness keeps you constantly awake.   
What happens when the passage of time appears?   
You see yourself as a child and it brings you to tears.   
You say that you're troubled and you always have been,   
Uncomfortable in your own skin.   
So you contemplate the riverbed;   
Turn off the dark thoughts in your head.

“You know, I think I would have preferred it if you had said that you knocked up some Eastern European woman twenty-odd years ago,” Pepper said blankly after Tony explained the whole situation which led them to essentially having a foster child. Clint had gone back to his farm. Rhodey and Hill were at the bar smirking while Steve and Natasha was showing Wanda around.

“It would have been a hell of lot easier to explain,” Tony replied. “This was not exactly my idea but I think we can make it work. She also needs some sort of family figure since pretty much all her family is dead. Granted I think Romanoff was joking when she said I was her new father.”

“Yeah, I got that bit.”

“The only snag is that she does not like me.”

“Well, yeah. You designed the weapon that killed her parents. You would be on her kill list.”

“Pep, you need to stop watching Game of Thrones. Natasha would have suggested Barton but he has his own small priorities to deal with. One priority on the way.”

“Is that meant to be a euphemism?”

“Yep.”

“Barton is married?”

“Yep.”

“Huh. That explains why he turned down Thanksgiving last year.”

“Getting back the point, you would not mind her staying here?”

Pepper sighed, “I don’t think I am too happy that you’ve sprung this on me all of a sudden, but I am not one for turning away someone who needs help.”

“Well, it might be best for you two to meet then.”

“I’ll do it on my own. Less likely to end up in an argument.”

-o-

“So this is going to be my room?” Wanda asked looking around the very spacious bedroom with a four-post bed, giant television and en-suite.

“Yeah, Stark is not known for subtlety,” Natasha answered.

“It is a bit much. I’ve never seen a television this massive before.”

“It’s one of five in the world apparently,” Steve replied. “Nat, can I have a word?” Natasha followed him out of the room and Steve had a look of worry on his face. “Is this really a good place to put Wanda under Stark’s care?”

“No. If anything he is not the most responsible person here. However, I can only help her with the training. You are still looking for your friend. Barton has his own kids to care for. Banner is gone and Thor might be wanting to peruse these space gems. Also it is not so much I am trusting Stark with Wanda. I’m trusting Pepper with Wanda.”

“Well, that does make me less worried but you have to admit you have given her a bit of a culture shock putting her in a multi-billion dollar home.”

“Hey, you’ve somewhat gotten over your culture shock. Give her some time.”

“Hey,” Pepper said approaching her. “Um… Is Wanda in that room?”

“Yes,” Natasha replied. “No Stark?”

“I thought it would be less messy this way.”

“Good point.”

When Pepper walked into the en-suite, she found Wanda looking perplexed at the amount of buttons needed just for the bathtub. She really was young and lost.

“That is a lot of buttons for something you lie in and soak,” Wanda commented.

“I said this but then I pressed the Jacuzzi option in our bathroom and I never said anything about it again. I’m Pepper by the way.”

“I guessed. I’m Wanda.”

“I guessed. I’m sorry about your brother.”

“Everybody is sorry.”

“I’m also sorry that sometimes my partner is an egotistical idiot.”

“While he is an egotistical idiot, I think it was my fault he built Ultron. I put a vision in his mind that showed his worst fear: the death of every one he cares about.”

“The thing about Tony is that he is not really great at expressing any form of emotion when he has a problem. One time he hid the fact he was dying and decided to throw a party.”

“How do you put up with him?”

“Love to be honest. You had to have been willing to overlook your brother’s flaws.”

“When someone is the only person in your life then you sort of have to look over the problems the person has, or else you will truly end up alone.”

“Okay, well, I have some friends coming up to Times Square tonight and we’re going to see a Broadway musical if you are up for it. That way you and I can get to know each other a little better.”

“I don’t know…”

“I promise I will look after you. It’s either this or spend the night bonding with Tony. I don’t know about you but I am not entirely sure I want to come back to a blood bath.”

“Okay. Do you have a dress I can borrow?”

“Ah, I thought I might find you here,” Vision proclaimed entering the room. Pepper squinted, recognising the voice coming from the android. “I would cover your ears Wanda.”

“TONY!”


	6. Chandelier

Chapter Six

_One, two, three, one, two, three,_ _drink.  
One, two, three, one, two, three, _ _drink.  
One, two, three, one, two, three, _ _drink._  
Throw 'em back, till I lose count.

"You look nice," Tony observed when Pepper emerged from the bathroom wearing a blue cocktail dress. “Are you still pissed off about the JARVIS thing because he is not technically JARVIS?”

“I’ve gotten over it. Quite frankly, uploading JARVIS into a humanoid body is the least stupid thing you have done this week.”

“I’ll take it as a compliment. Where are you going?” "Natasha and I are heading into the city for some girl time. We're meeting Jane and Darcy at a bar." "Okay, have fun, try not to get arrested and stay out of Hell's Kitchen. There’s stuff been going down recently in there." "We're also going to take Wanda because she has not seen New York at night yet." "Wait Wanda?" "What? I think it might be good for her." "Is it really wise idea to take her to a bar?" "Tony, stop worrying. She'll be surrounded by women who are more than capable of looking after her. Love you,” she said kissing him lightly on the lips.

“Love you too Pep. Have fun.”

-o-

“You know, New York bars just don’t seem to have the flair like they do in New Mexico,” Darcy commented while sipping her bear.

“I think this is meant to be a lot more sophisticated that the ones in New Mexico,” Jane replied.

“It does not really have the character though.” Jane had to give Darcy some credit on that point. The bar looked more sterile than the labs she had been working in. “Oh they’re here.” Darcy waved over to Natasha and Pepper while also looking rather confused at the younger woman tailing behind them nervously.

“So I take it you survived,” Jane commented to Natasha.

“Barely,” Natasha replied. “I need a drink.”

“Who is you very sad and bemused looking friend?” Darcy asked.

“Oh this is Wanda,” Pepper answered.

 _“I don’t look that sad do I?”_ Wanda thought.

“Wanda, this is Dr Jane Foster, Nobel Prize nominated Astrophysicist and Thor’s girlfriend. This is her assistant Darcy Lewis.”

“Hello,” Wanda greeted rather quietly.

“I’m going to grab some seats. I’ll have a beer,” Natasha said taking Wanda’s hand and pulling her away.

“Right, Wanda is from Sokovia, she was involved in what went down there and her brother … he died,” Pepper explained.

“Oh…” Jane said, not entirely sure what to say.

“Just don’t bring it up. I brought her out so I could take her mind off the whole thing.”

“Sure, I get it. No mentioning dead brother,” Jane said grabbing her wine. Pepper ordered her martini, Natasha’s beer and a soda for Wanda. Darcy ordered some extra shots for everyone on top of her beer.

On the platform, Natasha had grabbed a seat with Wanda looking confused at the surroundings and the music which just seemed to be the same beat over and over again without any other melody coming in.

“Yeah, I know, the music sucks,” Natasha commented. “Are you okay?”

“This is really strange. Like I don’t think laboratories are this whitewashed.”

“Welcome to the American aesthetics: simple but clinical.”

“That is not the only thing. I’m sorry I … played with your head.” Natasha blinked, almost as though she was trying to forget the vision she was presented with.

“It’s fine…”

“No it isn’t. I exposed old wounds that I had no business in messing with.”

“Okay. I accept your apology. So long as you don’t do it again.” A glimmer of a smile appeared on Wanda’s face though it quickly faded.

“I’m sorry about Doctor Banner by the way. I think that was my fault as well.”

“Wanda, sometimes we do bad things that we will end up regretting for the rest of their lives. Some of us kill innocent children because we are told to, others join genocidal robots because it is against the one thing they hate. Speaking of whom, I’m sorry that I lumped you with Stark.”

“I thought you lumped Stark with me.”

“We don’t have to tell him that.”

“What is your plan here Natasha because I don’t get it.”

“If I told you then it would not be a secret plan.”

“You know I could just –”

“If you did then I have something in my bag that will paralyse you for at least a week.” Wanda smirked a little. “So what happens now?”

“We get drunk tonight. Monday you and I start training.”

“I thought Barton was…”

“He’s on paternity leave. Won’t be back in duty until the kid is three months old.”

“Okay. Let’s get drunk.”


	7. Cry No More

Chapter Seven

_And I don’t wanna cry no more._  
And I don’t wanna die a little more,   
Every day.   
And I don’t wanna cry no more.   
And I don’t wanna die a little more,   
Every day.   
To pull yourself from harm;   
To be the braver one;   
To raise our weary hand,   
In a house that’s built on sand;   
To wear it like a crown.   
To keep before you drown.   
To fight it on and to cry no more. 

Steve had gone back to DC after two days of floating whistfully around the Tower. Natasha had to do some ‘clearing up’ (in other words paperwork), Jane and Darcy had gone back out to London with Thor, and Pepper had to go to a business meeting in Chicago. Which meant the only people that were around was Tony, Wanda and Vision. And F.R.I.D.A.Y which seemed to weird Wanda out initially but after a week she had gotten used to being woken up by the female AI.

Vision did not really do much except let Tony perform tests, which was a concern to the Vision given Tony’s previous tinkering habits.

“No offence to you Mr Stark, but I do not believe I need any improvements.”

“Well, nothing wrong with including some more cool gadgets.”

“Sir, Miss Maximoff is requiring some assistance in the shower,” F.R.I.D.A.Y announced.

“Oh for heavens sake you know to tell her which button is for what.”

“It is not that kind of emergency Sir. She has slipped in the shower and appears to have hurt herself.”

“I shall imagine that you would rather me do it,” Vision commented.

“No, I’ll do it. Face the music.” Tony went to the Wanda’s floor, cautiously moving into the bathroom. Wanda was slumped in the shower stall, grimacing in pain, and trying to cover certain aspects of her body. “What happened?”

“I slipped. Can you throw me a towel?” Tony grabbed the towel from the rack and threw it over her. “How do you know I was here?”

“F.R.I.D.A.Y.”

“That is kind of weird.”

“Good for stuff like this. What have you hurt?”

“Shoulder.”

“Need help?”

“Right so you can cope a feel?”

“I’m in a committed relationship. Come on.” He just about got her up and onto the toilet seat, taking a quick look at the shoulder. “Yep. It looks like you have dislocated it.”

“What are you a doctor now?”

“He is right Miss Maximoff. The shoulder is dislocated. Also, you do have a slight cut on the back of your head.” F.R.I.D.A.Y imputed.

“Right, come on. Hospital.”

“Can I at least put something on that is not a towel?”

“Well, I wasn’t going to let you drip fluid over my car seat. Thought you would have protested more.”

“I’m in serious pain here.”

-o-

“Right, we need to fill out a form,” Tony stated in the waiting room of A&E.

“What is it for?”

“Just to sign you and get a doctor assigned. Don’t worry about paying. I’ll cover it.”

“You don’t have to do anything out of obligation.”

“No I meant the medical insurance. Avengers get covered under the Stark Industries Medical Insurance banner.”

“I never got you Americans and your health care.”

“You want to bring it up with the president then be my guest. Right: full name?”

“Wanda Django Maximoff?”

“Django?”

“My father’s name. It was an accident. Pietro’s middle name is … was Django but the records people printed it on my birth certificate as well.”

“That’s unfortunate. Right date of birth?”

“30th October 1991.”

“1991 huh?”

“Significant year for you?”

“My parents were killed in a car accident not long after you were born.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s not a big deal. I’ve gotten over it. Mum dying hurt more than Dad’s but I am not going to harp on that. You have your own problems without adding my issues on top. And I’m sorry. If I had not created Ultron then maybe your brother would still be here. You had every right on that jet to rip me a new one and I know you said that my apologies are useless but -”

“Ignore what I said. I’ve had time to think things over. I was just highly emotional and angry. I could not really deny he was gone because I felt it. I really felt it. After tonight I know you are not an emotionless, bloodthirsty monster.”

“Has Pepper been trying to soften you up to me?”

“I’m not saying a thing.”

-o-

Steve and Pepper returned the next evening. To their surprise, Wanda and Tony were on the same sofa, both asleep, Wanda’s arm in a sling and her head resting on a pillow near Tony’s leg.

“Do those look like painkillers?” Pepper asked.

“Maybe they have come to some sort of understanding.”

After a moment, they both looked at each other and shook their heads as thought what Steve had suggested was absolutely ludicrous.


	8. Grace

Chapter Eight 

_I'm on my knees.  
Only memories,   
__Are left for me to hold,_  
Don't know how,   
But I’ll get by,   
Slowly pull myself together.   
There’s no escape,   
So keep me safe.   
This feels so unreal.   
Nothing comes easily.   
Fill this empty space.   
Nothing is like it seems.   
Turn my grief to grace. 

Natasha was not impressed by Wanda’s located shoulder. Though she was rather impressed by how much the relationship between Wanda and Tony had improved in just a few short days.

Then the uncomfortable part had come. S.H.I.E.L.D was officially releasing control over Pietro’s body so they could now hold a funeral. Everyone pitched in with the help. They could not exactly bury him in his homeland, so Wanda settled for New York. At least he would be near and she could visit him on a regular basis.

Most of the difficult decisions were made by Steve, Natasha and Clint, as they understood the protocol for burials of S.H.I.E.L.D agents. Pietro may not have been an official S.H.I.E.L.D agent but his heroics in the battle were just as heroic as Bucky Barnes prior to Steve losing him. He would be getting his name on the S.H.I.E.L.D Wall of Valour, which made Wanda actually cry with happiness for a change. Pietro would be remembered for the man who Wanda saw.

The night before the funeral though, she couldn’t sleep. She kept reliving the images of her parents’ funeral after the soldiers recovered what was left – which was not much – of their bodies. It was just her and Pietro that day. No other relatives.

At least this time there would be more than one person beside her. Even if they were technically strangers.

By about quarter to five, she had at least two hours sleep and that was all her body was allowing.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y? Is anyone else awake?”

“Commander Rogers is also awake in his room.”

While he probably did not want to be disturbed, Wanda went to his floor anyway. Forgetting where she was, she turned the handle and found a freaked out Steve.

“Sorry, did I scare you?” she asked.

“A little,” he laughed softly. “Did not think anyone else was awake but me.”

“What are you doing?” Steve was not exactly in pyjamas, instead looking as though he was preparing to run.

“Cannot sleep so I am going out for a run in the park.”

“Right.”

“You cannot sleep?”

“No.”

“Fancy running to clear your head?”

“I cannot really run with this shoulder.”

“Of course. I’ve ran with a dislocated shoulder before. Stupid idea, but it was the only way I was not going to get more injured.” Steve sat down to put his trainers on and Wanda sat beside him. “How are you feeling about tomorrow? Well today.”

“Not very good if truth be told. Hence why I cannot sleep.”

“Well you don’t have to do it alone.”

“I thought that. I’m not entirely sure if that makes it better or not.”

“When I buried my mother, I did not really have anyone but Bucky. It made the day somewhat more bearable. You have more people coming to this funeral than I did my mothers. There were the other nurses but they just gave you that sympathetic smile and say sorry for your loss.”

“Your mother was a nurse?”

“Yeah. She was strong you know. Raising a child as a single mother in the twenties. You would have liked her.”

“I might have. If she raised a son like you then I can see she was a fantastic mother.”

“She was.”

“I never said thank you for that night on the Hellicarrier. You comforting like that. That might have been the only reason I could sleep that night.”

“Better than alcohol.”

“Yeah.” Without really thinking, Wanda placed her lips on Steve’s. Steve pulled away sharply. “Oh no. Sorry.”

“No. It’s fine Wanda really.”

“No that was stupid. I should just go. I mean you want a run. I cannot run so I don’t know why I am here.”

“Wanda,” he grabbed her hand. “I should not have led you on.”

“You didn’t. I made the decision to kiss you. My fault. I need to go.”

-o-

The hearse was outside the Tower at ten. On the side of the coffin lay the word brother in a wreath. It was not raining, ironically. Felt too sunny for the situation.

Wanda was quite surprised with the amount of people who actually showed up. She had expected all the Avengers but Bruce, Pepper, Agent Hill, Director Fury (albeit incognito) and Colonel Rhodes. She was introduced to Sam Wilson and Peggy Carter. Jane, Darcy and a man called Dr Selvig were also present.

Most of them did not know Pietro. They were probably there for support. She felt thankful for that.

Steve, Clint, Tony and Thor all carried the coffin of their fallen comrade to the church yard. Rhodey helped as did Vision.

By half eleven, they were ready to lower Pietro to the ground. Despite the awkwardness over their kiss, Steve held Wanda’s hand during the bits where the Priest was speaking, until she had to give her speech. Pepper said that she did not have to, but Wanda insisted. It was her twin’s funeral and she would be damned if she did not say anything.

“I… I honestly thought that I would never live long enough to be making this sort of speech. Especially not at my twin brother’s funeral. I know some of you never really got to know him and even I would admit he was an ass sometimes but when someone is the only thing you have in your life you have to overlook the person’s flaws in fear of losing. The irony of that was that Pietro’s most virtuous act meant he had to go.

“And a month on, I cannot blame anyone for that. I cannot say it was the right choice he made but I am proud of the person he was that day. Pietro was always there from the second our parents were killed. When we were hiding under that bed, starving and scarred, he sang just to try and make it better. He sang Hey Jude one of his favourite songs. The other was Da Lime and Da Coconut, please don’t judge him on that. I cannot really describe how important he was to me in my own words, so I might let the poet W.H. Auden say it: ‘ _He was my North, my South, my East, and West. My working week and my Sunday rest, My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song_ *’.

“Despite all that, I think he would want me to make sure I lived a full life. Do the things he never got to do. We were born together but we were not always destined to die together. I will always have him in my heart though. I will always have the memories of those happy times. And I think that is all that matters.” Wanda kissed her palm and placed that hand on that coffin.

When she returned to her seat, Steve gave her hand a squeeze, she gave a teary smile in response. Tony lay his hand on her uninjured shoulder and whispered, “You did good kid.”

The coffin began to descend into the ground. Not wanting the last memories of Pietro being completely solemn, Clint mustered up the courage to begin singing, “Brother bought a coconut, he bought it for a dime. His sister had another one she paid a quarter lime. She put da lime in da coconut, she drank them both up.”

Not getting any looks of disapproval, Tony joined in, then Natasha, then Darcy, Sam, Rhodey, until most were singing along.

Wanda smiled, still tearful but grateful for the people around her.


	9. Demons

Chapter Nine

_No matter what we breed,_  
We still are made of greed.   
This is my kingdom come.   
This is my kingdom come.   
When you feel my heat,   
Look into my eyes.   
It’s where my demons hide,   
It’s where my demons hide.   
Don’t get too close,   
It’s dark inside.   
It’s where my demons hide,   
It’s where my demons hide. 

The week following the funeral was somewhat hectic. 

Plans were being made to convert an old S.H.I.E.L.D facility into a new Avengers base with Jane, Dr Selvig and Dr Cho assisting Tony in this new venture. 

Though the shoulder was not entirely healed, Natasha had decided that Wanda could start with some one-armed target practice. It had mixed results to say the least, though Clint was very much amused.

Thor spent a lot of time contemplating whether he should pursue the infinity gems, making sure they were safe. 

Steve had made it his duty to drive Peggy back to her nursing home. He drove her to New York so he was driving her back. She was at least having one of her lucid episodes.

“She has a very pretty face,” Peggy spoke.

“Who?”

“Young Wanda. Really sweet too. Do you not think she has a really pretty face?”

“Yes. She’s really beautiful.”

“What’s up Steve? I can see something is bothering you.”

“It’s nothing Peggy. Really.”

“Don’t you remember after one of the shows, you told me that you dreamed about coming overseas and being on the front lines? Serving you country. You finally get everything you wanted, and you were wearing tights.” Even if she couldn’t remember anything that recently happened, Peggy still remembered conversations from over half a century ago with crystal clarity. “Your face now reminded me of that: you are very downcast.”

“I just sometimes wonder you know, if I did not put that plane in the water, what life I could have lived. Finish the war, stopped Zola from infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D… Got that dance you know. I thought about it recently … My worst regret.”

Somewhere in his mind, Steve remembered Peggy’s words to him when he visited her prior to S.H.I.E.L.D’s fall. She wouldn’t remember saying these words but he certainly did.

_“The world has changed, and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes the best that we can do is to start over.”_

“Steve, listen to me. You don’t think for one second that I was never happy after you went under the water. I was sad for a while but I knew you would want me to continue what I was doing: prove I was the best. I’ve lived a full life. You should start living a life. You are not getting any younger.”

“I’m ninety-six. Not dead.”

“Exactly. You still have time. More than I do, but I have lived my life. It does not mean that you should not start moving on.”

“How?”

“I can see it in your face Steve. You seem to be looking at one girl in particular. A woman you’ve already kissed no doubt.”

“I think Natasha might be more interested in another man.”

“I was not talking about Ms Romanoff.” Peggy smiled at him and ended the conversation

-o-

After ensuring Peggy was settled back and a drink, Steve headed back to New York. By the time he arrived at the Tower, everyone was gathered in the kitchen.

“This is not an omelette,” Wanda told Tony.

“It contains eggs, peppers, milk, spinach and cheese. Ergo it is an omelette,” Tony argued.

“You’d think after being together for nearly five years he would have learnt to cook an omelette,” Pepper commented. Wanda giggled.

“I thought you and I had reached an understanding Wanda,” Tony said sardonically.

“Stark, I would be inclined to agree. I do not believe that is an omelette,” Thor added.

“Thanks Point Break, you were meant to be on my side.”

“You made scrambled egg,” Natasha mocked.

“Okay. I get it. I cannot cook an omelette.”

“Or anything,” Steve imputed. “Does anyone want take out?”

“Sure. As long as Stark isn’t cooking I’m game,” Natasha replied.


	10. Budapest

Chapter Ten

_And give me one good reason_  
Why I should never make a change.  
Baby if you hold me,   
Then all of this will go away.   
My many artifacts,   
The list goes on.   
If you just say the words,   
I, I'll up and run,   
Oh, to you.   
Ooh, you.   
Ooh, I'd leave it all. 

Steve suggestion of takeout had proven to be catastrophic in that Tony, Pepper, Natasha and Wanda all came down with food poisoning. Steve and Thor avoided it by just simple genetics. Lucky bastards as Tony muttered. 

Natasha recovered the quickest, followed by Pepper. No time for illnesses when you are a super spy or CEO. Tony's passed over as well. 

Wanda had been knocked to and throw by the illness. She had practically slept on the bathroom floor her bug was so bad. It took four days for her to stop throwing up and keep some dry food down. Her fever dropped significantly thank heavens.

Most off all it had been the exhaustion. While Steve, bless him, had gone to change her bedsheets, she had collapsed on the sofa in the lounge after having a shower. Steve had gone to grab her and get her to sleep in something more comfortable than the sofa.

“Go away,” she moaned.

“Come on, you cannot sleep there. You’ll hate yourself for it.” He lifted her up like a child and took her to her bedroom. She groaned a little when he put her down on the bed, though it was a nice feeling of starchy and cool sheets. “Feel better?”

“A little. You’re too good to me,” she yawned. “Stay.”

“I don’t think I can.”

“Not like that you idiot. Just hold me.”

Steve kicked off his shoes and lay beside Wanda. She snuggled up against his chest.

-o-

Steve had come back from a mission in a right state. Part of him knew he should have gone to the S.H.I.E.L.D med bay but he decided that it was just cuts and bruises.

Wanda flipped at him, telling him that he should get his wound properly looked at but going to Iodine out anyway.

“Ah,” he hissed when she put the chemical on his head wound.

“You really should have thought this through,” Wanda told him.

“It was just a routine mission. Just went a bit wrong that’s all.”

“There is going wrong and getting the shit being beaten out of you.”

“I’ve been beaten up worse than this doll.”

“Doll?”

“Sorry I sometime forget I am in the 1940s anymore. Called Natasha it once, thought she was going to castrate me in my sleep. Agent Hill didn’t seem to mind though. Am I all patched up?” he asked once Wanda put a plaster over the cut on his head.

“Just about.” She placed a kiss on his head.

“What was that for?”

“My mother always said that a kiss on a wound would make it heal faster.”

“It will heal fast but I doubt it will be because of the kiss.”


	11. Battle Cry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heavy Disclaimer: A lot of this dialogue is from the movie itself so I do not own any of that, all that is Joss Whedon. The beginning section a bit at the end of the second section and the bit at the end is the original piece. It just seemed like logical sense to not just skip over these key bits of dialogue.

Chapter Eleven

_Nobody can save me now._  
The king is crowned,   
It's do or die.   
Nobody can save me now.   
The only sound Is the battle cry!   
Is the battle cry!   
Is the battle cry!   
Nobody can save me now,  
It's do or die.

It had been a couple of months since Ultron's defeat and the new Avengers facility had been opened for business. However it seemed change was imminent in the team. 

Thor had made the decision to pursue the Infinity Stones. 

Clint had taken his paternity leave given how Laura had given birth the previous week. 

Bruce was still MIA. 

Tony was also leaving the team for a bit. 

With only Steve and Natasha the only two remaining, they were going to need new recruits. At first they were going to fill the spaces left by Tony, Bruce, Thor and Clint, but they could expand into more if they found more remarkable people on their side. Wakanda seemed to have some. There were rumours of a new superhero in New York. For now though they would have to do what they could with War Machine, Falcon, Vision and Scarlet Witch - like Iron Man was the last name was given by the media. It had a good ring and was straight to the point. 

War Machine got the appropriate upgrades needed for an Avenger.

Given how his original wings had been torn apart during the Hellicarrier hijacking, Falcon got new wings with a paint job. 

Vision just remained the same. 

Wanda got an actual suit designed. Now her shoulder had finally healed she and Natasha had been doing more training and sparring, which did lead to some interesting conversations.

_"Okay gently, shoulder has only just come off the sling," Natasha warned as Wanda was working on the punch bag. "Get any sleep last night?"_

_"A bit," Wanda answered breathlessly._

_"Throwing some punches on a bag might help with that; it's like picturing your worst nightmare then fighting it."_

_"Do you ever have nightmares?"_

_"Occasionally. I know I come off as aloof but the things I have done do affect me."_

_Wanda nodded and continued to punch the bag. "How are you doing?"_

_"Still feels like there is something missing. The funeral was the hardest part. Since though it's eased off a little. Cannot sleep and I go for a run."_

_"With Rogers?"_

_"Yes. Admittedly I am a wimp when it comes to running. He can run thirteen miles no problem, me can barely get half a mile without getting a stitch. Though that is an improvement from a quarter of a mile."_

_"Sounds quite therapeutic, and I am not just talking about the run."_

_"Can I say something to you in confidence? The morning of Pietro's funereal, I might have kissed Steve."_

_That got Natasha's attention, "You kissed him?"_

_"It was only for a moment and he pulled away."_

_"Well you aren't the most together person at the moment so I can see his reason for pulling away. Don't take it as a personal offence, it's just Rogers doing what he does best."_

Wanda thought about this when she put the last of her outfit on: the red jacket. She had thought that she was getting a suit similar to Natasha's but was pleasantly surprised by the ensemble. 

_"Just thought it would be more practical than just wearing dresses but you would not be giving up your fondness for black and red," Pepper informed._

_"It's great Pepper. I love it.”_

-o-

Natasha was standing on one of the empty floors of the new facility when her phone rang with a video from Laura.

 _“Say hi to Auntie Nat,”_ Laura’s voice said over the video showing the new Barton baby in a little blue shirt with the words Nathaniel Pietro Barton.

“Fat,” Natasha commented, not entirely seriously but she still felt the baby was a traitor. Then again, they at least tried to honour her the best way they could. After three, she doubted Laura would want another.

“One of our tech boys flagged this, splashed down in the Banda Sea,” Fury announced coming closer. “Could be the Quinjet, but with Stark’s stealth tech, we still can’t track the damn thing.”

Natasha nodded, “Right.”

“Probably jumped out and swam to Fiji,” he suggested, trying to give Natasha some hope that Bruce could still be alive. “He’ll send a postcard.”

“Wish you were here,” Natasha replied sardonically. “You sent me to recruit him, way back when. Did you know then what was going to happen?”

“You never know. You hope for the best and make do with what you get. I got a great team.”

“Nothing lasts forever.”

“Trouble, Ms. Romanoff. No matter who wins or loses, trouble still comes around.”

In the meantime, Tony, Thor and Steve were walking through the hall and it seemed, not only by past experience but by possible feature event, Fury had a point.

“The rules have changed,” said Steve

“We’re dealing with something new,” Tony replied.

“Well, the Vision’s artificial intelligence.”

“A machine.”

“So it doesn’t count.”

“No. It’s not, like, a person lifting the hammer.”

“Right. Different rules for us.”

“Nice guy. But artificial.”

“Thank you.”

“If he can wield the hammer, then he can keep the Mind Stone,” Thor finally imputed. “It’s safe with the Vision. In these days, safe is in short supply.”

Suddenly Steve got a funny idea, “But if you put the hammer in an elevator…”

“It would still go up.” Tony insisted.

“Elevator’s not worthy.”

In amusement at his friends, Thor put his hand on Tony’s shoulder, “I’m going to miss these little talks of ours.”

“Not if you don’t leave,” Tony replied.

“I have no choice. The Mind Stone is the fourth of the Infinity Stones to show up in the last few years. That’s not a coincidence,” Thor explained as they got outside. “Someone has been playing an intricate game and has made pawns of us. Once all these pieces are in position…”

“Triple Yahtzee?”

“You think you can find out what’s coming?” Steve asked, taking Thor’s words seriously.

“I do. Besides this one,” Thor tapped Tony, “there’s nothing that can’t be explained.”

Thor nodded at his friends, raised his hammer and disappeared, leaving the Asgardian pattern on the grass.

“That man had no regard for lawn maintenance,” Tony quipped in mild annoyance. “I’m going to miss him though, and you’re going to miss me. There’s gonna be a lot of manful tears.”

“I will miss you Tony,” Steve replied.

“Yeah? Well, it’s time for me to tap out. Maybe I should take a page out of Barton’s book and build Pepper a farm. Hope nobody blows it up.”

“The simple life.”

“You’ll get there one day.”

“I don’t know. Family, stability. The guy who wanted all that went in the ice seventy-five years ago. I think someone else came out.”

“You all right?”

Steve nodded, “I’m home.”

Tony nodded, but did not remain too convinced as he got in his car. He had seen how Steve looked at Wanda and even though Steve had said that he felt like he couldn’t settle down in the modern world. Not with S.H.I.E.L.D still in disrepair and the world under threat, but there was still a glimmer of hope.

As he drove off, he asked F.R.I.D.A.Y to send Steve a message, “Tell him that he is seeing me in two days so I didn’t know I had such an impact for him to miss me and tell him not to let Wanda blow the place up.”

-o-

Natasha stood waiting for Steve, still pondering on the information that Fury had given her, until Steve snapped her out of her trance.

“You want to keep staring at the wall, or do you want to go back to work?” he asked. “I mean, it’s a pretty interesting wall.”

“Thought you and Tony were still gazing into each other’s eyes,” she mocked walking over to him. “How do we look?”

“Well, we’re not the ’27 Yankees.”

“We’ve got some hitters.”

“They’re good. They’re not a team.”

“Let’s beat them into shape.”

On the area below them, Rhodey, Vision, Sam and Wanda – all in their suits - assembled to look at their leader, who stood thinking about what to say, before finally coming up with something.

“Avengers A-”

“Less of the dorky alliteration Rogers we have work to do,” Natasha teased as she walked down to greet the recruits. “Right, we have a mission.”

“That was quick,” said Sam.

“What we got Cap?” asked Rhodey.

“Diamond thieves in Dubai. Bit out of our league but I thought I thought I would start you on something simple,” Steve replied.

“You mean after the robot invasion that happened two months ago?” asked Wanda.

“And the bringing down of major government intelligence?” asked Sam.

“And getting rid of idiots trying to scaremonger the nation by faking a terrorist threat?” asked Rhodey.

“I do believe something simple as a team is what Commander Rogers is implying,” Vision explained.

“That is exactly it Vision, but if you think that what the Avengers is about is bringing down alien or AI threats then I suggest you listen now. These are no ordinary diamond thieves. These are more organised and dangerous and going to need more than just a standard S.H.I.E.L.D team to bring them down?”

“Any questions?” asked Natasha.

The four new recruits looked at each other, all having the same question that Wanda asked, “When do we start?”


	12. Fix You

Chapter Twelve 

_Tears stream down your face,  
_ _When you lose something you cannot replace._  
Tears stream down your face   
And I...  
Tears stream down your face,   
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes.   
Tears stream down your face   
And I...

For some odd reason Wanda was struggling to sleep, not because of anything bad just really because she felt like she needed Steve by her side.

The problem was that any time another man in a club approached her, she would be flattered and take his number, then Steve came to visit however, she would get distracted by the colour of his eyes, his size of his arms, and the length of his legs. Thus the numbers would be forgotten about.  

Needing some water, she ventured into the kitchen, being greeted by Steve’s bare back. Her eyes trailed along where his muscles disappeared under his pyjama bottoms, the small of his back up until the broad, muscled shoulders. She needed that glass of water more now. 

“Are you okay Steve?” she asked, her throat extremely dry. He looked as though he had been sweating.  

“It’s nothing Wanda,” he replied turning to her.

“Fuck me,” Wanda thought looking over his chest and stomach. “The man is practically a god.” 

“You cannot sleep either?”

“No, just thirsty,” she croaked. “You had a nightmare didn’t you?” 

“Nothing I’ve not had before.” 

“You want to tell me?” 

“It’s nothing honestly.” She put her hand on his arm, her intention being to be reassuring but some images flashed in her head of various people. “I can feel you digging around in there.” 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to.” She let go. “Those are people you’ve lost, aren’t they.”

“Yeah,” he replies looking down. 

“You want to sit down and talk.” It wasn’t so much a question as much as it was a demand. Steve sat down at the table and she followed after making them both some tea – some camomile and vanilla stuff she picked up the other day. 

“Sometimes I dream that I never lost the people I knew back in the forties. I know Peggy is still alive but on a good day she’s still not all there. And Bucky, he’s alive but he isn’t the Bucky I know. HYDRA, they took away any piece of humanity he had and turned him into a killer.” 

“I suppose you must secretly hate me for volunteering for HYDRA’s experiments.” 

“Did you know that they were HYDRA when you volunteered?” 

“No.” 

“HYDRA is very manipulative. They use dirty tactics to recruit followers and get innocent people hurt. You, Wanda, are very much the latter. You were angry and they took advantage.” 

“How can you be so understanding?” 

“Intuition and a knowledge of the enemy’s tactics.” 

“You know your friend is out there, just lost and unsure of who he is.” 

“That’s why I have to find him. I need to know there is a way back for him. He doesn’t have any one you know Wanda. The wrong people found him and they destroyed his life.” This was probably the closest Wanda had seen Steve cry and it was a little heart-breaking. “Sorry.” 

“Don’t you apologise for crying.” 

“I don’t like doing it.” 

“Hey no one here is going to beat the shit out of you. Besides I’m not exactly known for holding back on tears.” He smiled. “Hug it out?”

When they finally went to their beds, Steve fell right asleep. Wanda got all new, pleasant dreams. 


	13. Make You Feel My Love

Chapter Thirteen

_The storms are raging on the rolling sea_  
And on the highway of regret.   
The winds of change are blowing wild and free,   
You ain't seen nothing like me yet.   
I could make you happy,   
Make your dreams come true.   
Nothing that I wouldn't do.   
Go to the ends of the Earth for you,   
To make you feel my love   
To make you feel my love

The next few months go by without Steve or Wanda doing anything about what was going on in their heads.

Steve kept going on missions, and returning with scrapes, much to Wanda’s annoyance. Natasha and Steve were still putting the Avengers through their paces. Wanda had taken up baking, which given the amount of people attending Steve’s birthday was somewhat of a challenge. Typical. Only Captain America would be born on the Fourth of July.

That barbecue had been interesting to watch from Pepper, Tony, Clint and Jane’s perspective. Steve had watched as Laura introduced baby Nathaniel Pietro to his Auntie Wanda, how happy she looked when his middle name was told to her.

“Rogers, I’m right here?” Tony interrupted while Clint snorted.

Then Pepper and Jane could not resist a laugh at Wanda’s face as Steve chased after Lila when she strayed too far from the play area. That man had legs.

“So are they?” Laura asked while getting a drink.

“No, but if they don’t do anything about their moon-eyeing soon then I am going to lock them in a closet until they reach some common sense,” Pepper replied.

“How long have they been doing it?”

“Since Wanda arrived.”

“Ah… Yeah, I understand why you would just want them to get together already.”

-o-

A week later Steve is late coming back from a mission. Wanda is unusually worried. He only ever comes back with the odd bump and bruise but he was never hours behind the time he said he would return.

Tony and Pepper had been slowly introducing her to some Disney movies. So far her personal favourites had been _Beauty and the Beast_ , _Mulan_ , _Tangled_ , _Lilo and Stitch_ , _Emperor’s New Groove_ , _Aladdin_ , _Lion King_ and _Frozen_. She liked the music in _Hunchback of Notre Dame_ but as a Romani she wasn’t particularly comfortable with the racism being thrown around by the villain. Granted Frollo wasn’t intended to be a nice person anyway. Yet when they got to watching _Mary Poppins_ (which she was rather enjoying) Wanda would not sit still and kept checking her phone.

Steve then came through the elevator in pristine condition. Wanda was not please.

“Where the hell have you been?” she yelled.

Slightly taken aback by this sudden confrontation, Steve answered rather innocently, “I had to fill out paperwork.”

“You could have called and not leave me worrying that you are going to come back in a casket.”

“Okay, sorry. Look I’m fine. See. Don’t worry. I’ll call next time.”

Over on the sofa, Tony cannot help but look at this exchange in some amusement. Steve just looks so adorably befuddled by the whole situation. Wanda looks really annoyed that he doesn’t quite get how devastated she would feel if he was to die.

Wanda forgets the other person in the room and grabs Steve by his collar, pulling him into a hard kiss. He has no time to react before she let’s go of him, his eyes wide with confusion as he looks at an equally surprised Tony.

Wanda leaves them muttering in Sokovian, “You’re an idiot.”

Steve sits down, trying to process what had just happened. He has no idea what to do.

-o-

The weekend goes by and while he and Wanda do the dishes, Steve tries to ask her about the kiss she had given him.

“I’m not talking about it,” she snapped. She’s still mad at him for not calling. “Not now at least.”

-o-

“I don’t get why she is angry. I mean I did apologise,” Steve laments to Sam and Tony in a café.

“You really don’t get it do you? Do you still not know a thing about women?” Tony asked sipping his coffee.

“Okay, on the one hand, she still is grieving over her brother and she has become attached to you,” Sam tried to explain. “Wanda may just be scared of losing another person she cares about.”

“Okay. That I understand. On the other hand…”

“She’s in love with you dumbass,” Tony exclaimed as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Steve stops dead on the spot and it is only when Sam flicks to water at him that he snaps out of his trace. “Why else would she have kissed you the other night?”

“Also you have feelings for her,” Sam adds in a matter-of-fact tone. “I thought it was obvious.”

“There are people in the outer reaches on Mongolia who can see it.” Steve looks down at his food guilty. “We’re not judging you if that is what you are thinking?”

“You’re right,” Steve finally says. “I do love her.”

“And let there be hallelujah chorus,” Sam exclaimed, gesturing his hand towards the ceiling.

“Go and tell her then. Ask her on a date before she gives up on you and turns to a dick named Geoffrey for comfort,” Tony tells him.

“How many romantic comedies have you been watching recently?” Sam asked.

“Too many for my own liking.”

-o-

Steve finds Wanda in the kitchen baking what looked to be a batch of brownies. She glances at him for a moment before returning to the task in hand.

“Wanda, I need to speak to you.”

“Can it wait?”

“No. And I am going to get straight to the point, because you deserve to be told the truth because you are a woman who –”

“What happened to getting straight to the point?”

“I love you.” This time it is Wanda’s turn to widen her eyes in shock and be stunned into silence. “I think you have been so remarkably brave over the last few months. I know you are still hurting from Pietro’s death and maybe you don’t want a relationship in fear of betraying him. I just want you know that I am here if you-”

“Oh will you shut up for once,” she says grabbing his collar again and pulled him down for a kiss. This one softer, more passionate than the last one. “I love you too you big idiot.”

“Good because for a second there I thought Stark was pulling my chain.”


	14. I Follow Rivers

Chapter Fourteen

_Oh I beg you, can I follow?_  
Oh I ask you, why not always?   
Be the ocean, where I unravel.   
Be my only, be the water where I'm wading.   
You're my river running high;   
Run deep, run wild.

Steve and Wanda were happy in their little sexless bubble for a few months. They didn’t really want to rush anything since they already declared their love for each other before they had even gone on a date.

The first date he had taken her to the movies. After he had given her a chaste kiss.

The second date Wanda had wanted to go to the Smithsonian. She had given him a longer, softer kiss.

The third date he took her dancing. It was fun, even if the pair lacked the coordination to actually dance. When they returned to his apartment, he had kissed her. His lips were warm, and she parted her mouth to allow his tongue to enter. It was tender and intimate. She sighed into his mouth.

Eventually, lungs in need of oxygen, they broke apart.

“I didn’t realise you could kiss like that?” she whispered.

“You don’t think it was bad?”

“Not at all.”

She walked away to the bathroom to get changed into her pyjamas. She didn’t like getting changed in front of him for some reason. There didn’t look to be anything wrong with her body but he respected her privacy.

When he got into the bedroom however, Wanda was covered mostly by a bedsheet, a half smirk on her face.

“You sure about this?”

She nods. That was all he needed.

-o-

The next morning, Steve climbed out of his bed, extremely sleepily and padded into the bathroom. Everything moved in slow motion as Steve accidently caught a glimpse of Wanda’s naked form.

“Sorry.”

Once he put on the coffee maker, Steve finally understood why Wanda was so shy about showing him her body. She had a scar running down her belly button, probably where the HYDRA scientists had stuck a scalpel when they probably experimented on her, without pain killers, probably in terrible conditions. There were more on her back but they looked to be from a whip.

“Steve?” Wanda asked tentatively. She had gone and put a dressing gown on.

“Wanda, I’m sorry. I should have checked you were in the bathroom.”

“Listen. Steve, I should have shown you the scars.”

“They’re your business.”

Wanda looked down at her feet and then back up at him. Slowly she peeled the dressing gown off her, revealing the scar – still healing – on her stomach. “It hurt, when they put their knife on my stomach. Bled a lot. Should have died.”

Steve felt some bile in the back of his throat at the thought of what they did to her and Pietro, “So the scars on your back?”

“They were a punishment for Pietro being defiant. They knew that if they beat him then he wouldn’t get the message.” Her point made, she pulled on her dressing back on.

Steve walked over and kissed her on the forehead, “I should have been there sooner.”

“I shouldn’t have gone in the first place. Then again, I would not have met you.”

“You’re safe now. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“You cannot do that. Not with our job.”

“I can try my damn hardest.”

“Isn’t that a naughty word?”

“I think you might be really late on that.”

“Still,” she leaned up to kiss him and let her hands caress the back that had enticed her months ago.

Fifteen minutes later she’s perched on the counter, dressing gown being used as a cushion. Steve is surprisingly creative when he puts his mind to it.

It’s Wanda’s last lucid thought for a bit.


	15. War Sweater (1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next three chapters are going to follow some part of the Civil War storyline, albeit this will more than likely never occur in the film. This is based on some BTS photos at best so take everything with a grain of salt.

Chapter Fifteen

_Battle lines drawn if you wonder which side speaks the truth._  
_Then look closely to which speaks from pride._  
 _I love you, I swear it, I would never lie._  
 _But I fear for our lives and I fear your closed eyes._

It had been a few months of bliss, despite the government had decided to come up with a (quite frankly stupid) legislation that would mean that any person with some form of superhuman power would have be registered – or in other words, kept an eye on. The Avengers virulently disagreed with it, telling the new head of the Superhuman Committee to shove the legislation where the sun don't shine (Tony's words).

In the meantime, Wanda had been splitting time between Steve's apartment and her residence back in the old Avengers Tower. She liked – no loved – living with Steve. Waking up next to him, making love with him, and just genuinely spending time with him. She hated being alone so when he went on missions without her, she would go back to the Avengers Tower.

This day, they had just arrived back from Wakanda, meeting a man called T'Challa. She liked T'Challa but the mission had to be cut short as Steve had spotted someone familiar: Brock Rumlow. Also, the nursing home Peggy was residing in had called saying that they needed to speak to him urgently.

"Right, I've made some spaghetti but I don't know if it's any good," Wanda announced as Steve walked into the apartment. She turned to him, but his face didn't look too thrilled to see her. "Are you okay?"

"Peggy... She's deteriorating faster than the doctors have predicted."

"How long do they think..."

"A few weeks. Maybe less."

Wanda put the plates of food down and walked over to hug him, "It's going to be alright Steve. We're going to make sure Peggy is comfortable."

They did.

Steve would see her every day, talk to her as much as he could.

Tony visited her as well, given how much she did visit when Howard was alive. She called him Howard and it was the closest Wanda had seen Tony cry.

Agent Sharon Carter would visit as well, as Peggy's only living relative. Like Steve, she would talk to her aunt as much as possible.

Three weeks later, Steve woke up in the middle of the night, his phone ringing. Peggy had died peacefully in her sleep.

The funeral occurred two weeks later.

Wanda had took Steve's hand during the service, the same way he had done during Pietro's funeral. Tony and Sam had attended the service as well. Once the coffin was taken outside for burial, Steve looked over to a tree and squinted his eyes. He could vaguely make out a scruffy looking figure looking over at the proceedings.

"Bucky?"

"What?" Wanda whispered.

"Can you see that man standing by the tree?"

"Yeah."

"I think that is my friend Bucky." Just before they were going to the wake, Steve chased the man down the path calling his name. Bucky didn't stop. "Wait. I need to speak to you."

Steve managed to block his old friend's path. Steve looked over Bucky. His clothes didn't look as though they had been cleaned, he hadn't shaved, and hair was too matted. His expression, very much confused.

"Please don't speak to me," Bucky's tone was low and reserved.

"Why are you here?"

"I read in the paper that a Margret Carter had died. From the details, she sounded familiar. Like I knew her personally. Thought I would pay my respects."

"That is good of you but are you just going to leave like that?"

"You don't need me."

"We both need each other. Do you know who you are?"

"James Buchannan Barnes."

"Do you know who I am?"

"Steve Rogers. You're my best friend."

"Yeah," Steve laughed, somewhat out of relief. "How much do you know?"

"I was a Sergeant. Howling Commando. I had many friends."

While it was to be expected, Steve couldn't believe how introverted his friend had become; he was a shell of his former self. It was then he noticed that the metal arm wasn't moving quite right.

"You know we have people who can fix your arm."

"Thanks but –"

"No buts. You are not going to be able to get back to who you were without help."

"How can you be sure?"

"Trust me on this. Just please come with me."

-o-

The first thing S.H.I.E.L.D does is run some tests on Bucky. His vitals come off somewhat fine despite the constant freezing. His physical is great. Then the brain scan comes back and there were signs of neurological damage, from the fall and the constant electronic shocks going into his brain. The psychological test is mixed: the word association game doesn't produce great results.

Tony let's him stay but he can't help but feel some anger towards Bucky. In the files Natasha leaked to the public, the one about HYDRA organising the assassination of Howard Stark came up. Tony just couldn't shake the feeling that Bucky was going to hurt someone.

Even then it wasn't unpleasant having him around.

Natasha has never been great with cutting hair but managed to crop the matted locks, and she's almost surprised that Bucky can speak Russian. Even though he had shot her - twice - she couldn't help but feel a kinship with Bucky. They had both been manipulated, their choice ripped from them and forced to become a deadly weapon for other people.

While still holding in his anger, Tony mended the arm, being somewhat impressed with its design.

Sam, Rhodey and the Vision felt a little odd around him though being the overly polite A.I he was, Vision seemed to like talking to Bucky. Sam was slightly resentful over the wings but that didn't really matter.

Steve had given him the old files of their friends: Phillips, Howard Stark, Peggy Carter and the rest of the Howling Commandos. There were also a pile of photos that he looked through.

The one thing Bucky observed was how Steve was when he was around Wanda: eyes twinkling, loving. He vaguely remembered some gangly looking kid who could barely speak to a girl or who girls - wrongly - rejected Steve because he wasn't tall or athletic or in the army.

How that little knuckle head got a girl to talk to him, let alone love him seemed quite baffling.

Bucky was in the kitchen looking through the files and photos when Wanda came in. Bucky hadn't really gotten to know her but he thought she was pretty and quite liked her hair.

"Hey," she said before her lips turned into a sweet smile. Bucky remained quiet. Very much reminiscent of her in the hours after Pietro's death. "You want a drink?"

"I'm fine thank you."

Wanda made herself some tea but rather than leaving, she sat down with him, "Steve thinks the world of you. Says you were always there for him."

"I remember he used to get into fights with people bigger than him."

"Still does it, or rather he gets into fights with things that aren't entirely human. Keep having to treat his wounds but I don't mind treating the wounds. I just don't like it when he's away. I get anxious that he isn't going to come home."

"I remember when he was in hospital with pneumonia. His mother had died recently so I had to look after him."

"How much do you remember Bucky – can I call you Bucky?" He's tentative, but something makes him shake his head. "Does James make you more comfortable?" He nods. "How much do you remember James?"

"Bits and pieces. So much has changed though."

"It's culture shock. I get it."

"I also remember pain, people, and pain."

"It was HYRDA wasn't it? I know because they did it to me too. They cut me open, shocked my brain and whipped me. They used us both."

"You still have your memories."

"For better or worse."

She gave him a small smile and lay a sympathetic hand on his. However, his memories had started bleeding through and something in Bucky snapped. He shoved her to the ground, his metal arm colliding with her ribs, then her face. Wanda tried to fight him off and he was just about to wrap his hands around her throat when he slumped off her, Wanda vaguely making out Tony standing over her with a chair.

"Come on kid. Let's get you to the hospital," he said lifting her up.


	16. Bad Blood

Chapter Sixteen

_Band-Aids don't fix bullet holes._  
You say sorry just for show.   
If you live like that, you live with ghosts.   
(You forgive, you forget but you never let it go)  
Band-Aids don't fix bullet holes.  
You say sorry just for show.   
If you live like that you live with ghosts.  
If you love like that blood runs cold.

Steve's head was frantic when he charged into the med-bay looking for Wanda, eventually finding her unconscious, badly bruised and with a hell of a black eye forming. That was just her face. 

"Oh my God, is she going to be alright?" 

"Two broken ribs. Slight head trauma. Pain meds knocked her out," Tony answered. "I warned you that living with an unstable assassin was a bad idea."  

"Bucky did this?" 

"I had to hit him over the head with a chair just before he could choke her to death."  

"Is he okay?" 

"Hold on a second. He beat the living crap out of your girlfriend and you ask if he is okay?"

"He's still my best friend." 

"Oh really? The man who you saw fall to his death would have beaten someone up this badly? He was an animal in there. Whatever HYDRA did to him means that he is not the person you remember. He's a trained killer." 

"I know but there is still some of the Bucky I know in him still. He saved my life." 

"So that makes up for him killing my father? A man he was friends with. It's people like the Winter Soldier that lands us with government legislation like the one their drawing up now." 

"The reason they are doing it is because you built a murder-bot!" 

"Oh right so I am one of these bad guys who deserves to have their privacy ripped from them?" 

"I'm not saying that. Mainly because everyone knows who you are. Everyone sort of knows who I am. Natasha dumped all her secrets out in the open. Thor doesn't really have a disguise. But what about Barton and his family? The reason he kept them a secret was to keep them safe. HYDRA managed to get as high as the World Security Council and all it could take is one hack."

"But what if this act can protect people from the bad guys?" 

"Where is the line Stark? First they go after the bad guys. Then one of us screws up what happens then?" 

"We still save people. Prove we are still the good guys." 

"And what about those who were brainwashed?" 

“He knew what he was doing and given a chance he probably would have killed Wanda. You didn’t see his eyes, he looked set to kill her.”

“Where is he?”

“Oh right so he is more of a priority that your girlfriend?”

“What are you trying to imply Stark?”

“That you give more of a shit about her attacker than your own girlfriend!”

Steve snapped and punched Tony directly in the face, knocking him down to the ground, nose bleeding profusely. Rather than sit there, he got back up and soon he and Steve were in a scrap.

“Whoa, get off each other,” Sam said as he walked into the hospital room with Rhodey and the two attempted to pull their friends off each other.

“Easy Tony,” Rhodey soothed.

“You’re not so high and mighty Rogers!” Tony yelled.

“You think I don’t care about Wanda? I care about them both equally!”

“Maybe you should get it into your head that you are never going to get your friend back. He’s gone Rogers.”

“Tony come on, you need to get that nose looked at,” Rhodey said coolly, trying to get his friend out.

“I have one question: when did you start agreeing with the government Stark?” Steve asked, his temper simmering.

“When psychos start beating the shit out of my friends.”

Rhodey led Tony out and Sam released his grip on Steve, “Barnes do this?”

“Yeah. I don’t know why but he wouldn’t have done this unprovoked. He was improving.”

“You think this is Wanda’s doing?”

“I’m not blaming her. I’m not blaming either of them.”

“Well, Pepper has brought him into the hospital; you want to talk to him?”

“Can you sit with Wanda?”

“Sure.”

-o-

Tony has a broken nose but the poor nurse cannot even attempt to fix it because of how much he is ranting, “None of this would have happened if he did not invite that psycho.”

“I agree but let’s face it we don’t know what actually happened. Wanda is drugged up and I doubt Rogers is going to let you go near Barnes. The guy is getting his head stitched as we speak.”

“How do you know?”

“Wilson and I found him unconscious with some blood on the floor.”

“So you both took him to the hospital? Loyalty knows no bounds.”

“Hey, I did not know what he did until I saw you and Rogers trying to punch the living daylights out of each other. Tony, I am on your side. You know I am always on your side and even though this act is rather stupid, if it protects the civilians from people like Barnes then I am all for it.”

“That is what I said but it’s not getting into Rogers head. He seems to think Barnes can be redeemed.”

“And you don’t?”

“He killed my parents Rhodey. He almost killed Fury, Romanoff, Rogers and Wanda. He is never going to be the same man Rogers fought with in the 1940s.”

-o-

Steve immediately finds Bucky who is getting his head stitched.

“What the hell Bucky? Why did you beat Wanda?”

“She’s evil.”

“Really?”

“She poked in my brain, unveiled secrets, showed my worst fear. Then I saw her harming you and she needed to be stopped.”

“Well, you are too late. She already played with my head.”

“And you forgive her?”

“Yeah. She is no different to you. She was manipulated but saw the error of her ways. If I can forgive you for nearly killing me on that Hellicarrier, then I can forgive her for what she did. What actually happened?”

“She touched me.”

“Was it an aggressive touch? Was it sympathetic?”

Bucky blinked, “It was sympathetic.”

“It was an accident. Sometimes it happens; she doesn’t mean to do it.”

“Is she okay?”

“She’ll live.”

“No thanks to me.”

“Bucky, listen –” Gunfire could be heard from a distance and Steve looked out the window. It was Rumlow – or Crossbones as he now called himself. “I think I might need your help.”

“I think you need more help than just me… Steve I would ask Stark.”

“You’re kidding right after the stunt he just pulled.”

“He can help.”

Steve sighed. As much as he hated to admit it, Bucky was right.


	17. Wake Me Up When Septemeber Ends (3)

Chapter Seventeen

_Here comes the rain again,_  
Falling from the stars.   
Drenched in my pain again,   
Becoming who we are.   
As my memory rests,   
But never forgets what I lost.   
Wake me up when September ends.

"Stark, listen we need to talk." 

"Well Rogers, you and I have nothing to say until you throw Barnes to the streets." 

"This is not about Barnes. There is a HYDRA operative outside shooting people. I need your help."  

"Then why the hell are we standing here? Hill, we're going to need the suits." 

_"On their way sir."_

"So what is the plan?" 

"Stop Rumlow and his goons from killing as many civilians as possible." 

"We're going to need more than the two of us."

"Right ahead of you, Wilson and Rhodes are suiting up. Romanoff and Barton are on their way. Bucky is -"

"Whoa, you never said anything about Barnes joining us." 

"You can pick a fight with me after. As I was saying, Vision should be here soon, and we have a friend flying in from Wakanda." 

"What about Spidey? He a no show?" 

"I sent out the signal for him but whether he answers is up to him." 

-o-

In the meantime, Wanda had woken up, saw the news and decided she was going to fight. 

"No way, back to bed now," Pepper ordered. 

"Pepper, I can't just sit here while they all risk their lives." 

"You have no choice, you have a concussion."

"I'm fine." 

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Pepper held up three. 

"Six." 

"Back to bed. I'm going to stay with you." 

"I can't just stay here Pepper."

"And you are going to get yourself more hurt if you go. There is no way Steve will allow you to fight in your condition." 

Wanda sighed, knowing Pepper was right. 

-o-

"Right, listen up, we have these bastards running through a three block radius. Fury has just about managed to contain them but I need Stark, Vision and Rhodes to cover the perimeter; if they get out, fry them. Barton, Romanoff, you cover the left, Romanoff on the outer circle, Barton on the inside, Bucky and I will cover the right. We need to get the civilians pass the perimeter or into the Subway. Wilson be our eye in the sky." 

"Do we have anyone to cover the hospital?" Natasha asked. 

"Not yet." 

"Actually Cap, I think I have someone who can build a strong enough web," Hill informed over the coms. 

At that point, some scrawny kid in a red and blue suit came swinging in. 

"Are we really going to let the twelve year old protect the hospital?" asked Barton. 

"Hey," Spidey protested. 

"Hill do we have an ETA on T'Challa?" 

_"About ten minutes."_

"Right, that is our plan, any HYDRA agents, shoot on sight but get the civilians out. Everyone got that?" 

"Yes Cap." 

The team go their separate ways as ordered, shooting a few agents on the way. 

Natasha managed to order some civilians down to the nearest subway after getting them safety out of a coffee shop, “Okay, everyone out through the window and get to the nearest subway. It isn't over yet. Come on! Move! Move! Move!"

Barton had been trying to get some frightened kids off a school bus that HYDRA had surrounded. Luckily he had a Taser arrow that shot out two other Taser leads to get all three goons down, "It's okay kids, Uncle Hawkeye is here." 

Some of the enemy tried to break the perimeter but Vision was having none of it, "We did ask nicely that you don't go out." 

"Rogers, I see Rumlow heading for the giant building just a block to your right," Wilson informed.

"Which building, there are three?" 

"The one on the right hand side." 

"On my way." 

"You can't be going into there?" Bucky questioned Steve's judgement. 

"I have to, or else Rumlow is going to kill everything in his path." 

"Then let me go with you." 

"Rogers," Tony's voice comes over the coms, "I would not go in on your own if I were you." 

"Stark is right, not that I take pleasure in saying that. I can't risk Rumlow getting to you." 

"That is not what I meant." 

"Bucky just cover the area. Please." 

After a moment, Bucky nods and Steve runs into the building. The hallway is empty, but Steve can sense Rumlow is near. 

Out of nowhere he felt something hit him in the chest repeatedly, and searing pain enveloped his body. He’d been hit with what looked to have been a crowbar, which then collided with his left eye. Steve blinked through the white and made out the figure of Rumlow standing over him.

“I said this wasn’t personal Rogers, a long time ago. Now it’s personal.” Rumlow shot a bullet through Steve’s stomach and another through his chest. The blood was running out of his back and he was starting to slip from consciousness.

Suddenly everything felt hot. And before he passed out completely, he heard a gunshot.

-o-

_‘I come up hard, baby. I'm in for real, baby. Gonna keep movin'. Gonna go to town.’_

Steve woke up through the haze of painkillers, familiar sounding music playing in the background, the bedsheets feeling like a fluffy cloud and a thumb stroking over his hand. Wanda’s face, her eye now looking a lot better, looked tried but relieved.

“I didn’t know you liked Marvin Gaye,” he croaked.

“Sam left me his IPod and dock. It’s a good soundtrack,” she replied pouring him some water.

“How are you feeling?”

“Ribs are healing up fine. Pain killers working alright. It’s you I’m more worried about. Broken eye socket, five broken ribs, various burns, shot through your stomach and in the chest. Surgery took hours and you nearly bled to death.”

“Sorry. If it is any consolation, I cannot feel a damn thing.” He smiled and squeezed her hand. “You think I’m an idiot.”

“Anytime you put yourself in serious danger I think you are an idiot. That is because I love you.”

“Is everyone else okay?”

“Nothing too bad. Well, nothing as bad as you. You were lucky that Bucky dragged your unconscious ass out of the building.”

“Bucky saved me?”

“He said you owe him. Twice. He’s back in the psych ward but hopefully he won’t be there long.”

“How long do I have to be here?”

“Until the doctor clears you. You had open heart surgery. You are not going anywhere Rogers.”

He smiled and pulled his bedsheets and shuffled over, “Come here.”

“Can’t. Doctor will tell me off. I need to run to the bathroom. Do you want anything?”

“Marry me.”

Her eyebrows raised, “Okay, you are high.”

“I mean it. Wanda Django Maximoff. Will you marry me?”

“Are you serious?” Her tone was soft rather than aggressive or insulted.

“I have never been more serious in my life Wanda.”

After a few moments, Wanda nodded, “Yeah. I’ll marry you.”


	18. The Cave

Chapter Eighteen

_But I will hold on hope,_   
_And I won't let you choke_   
_On the noose around your neck._   
_And I'll find strength in pain,_   
_And I will change my ways._   
_I'll know my name as it's called again._

Getting married should have been the simplest thing to do for two people who led double lives as superheroes. Yet Wanda and Steve's wedding seemed plagued with one disaster after another.

First, Lila's flower girl dress was the wrong colour. They had gone with a nice blue to contrast with the red Steve and the groom party had been given. They had given her green. Natasha was the one that pretty much threatened on the pain of death the shop owner to give them the right dress.

One disaster averted, the second came when the bachelor party had got them locked in jail for the night because Thor doesn't take too kindly to women being treated like meat. The women back home were not impressed, though they softened when they found out why.

Thirdly, Wanda had been too ill for her own bachelorette party, which was odd seeing as she was the only one who was ill.

Still, everyone hoped that there would be no more disasters on the actual day.

Then just before they were due to go to the rehearsal, news got wind that the church they were due to get married in the next day had caught fire.

"God takes this sex before marriage thing seriously then," commented Tony. Pepper smacked him around the back of the head.

They decided to postpone the wedding for the meantime.

Then Laura, Jane and Darcy found Wanda crying in the lounge.

"Hey, you will marry him eventually," Laura tried to reassure the younger woman. "If it makes you feel any better, Clint very nearly didn't show up for ours. Plane got stuck in Budapest."

"Besides, there are other churches that can do the wedding," Jane added.

"There isn't. We called every church we could find in New York," Wanda sobbed.

"Every church? Even the Mormons?" Darcy asked.

"Okay, gross exaggeration."

"Does it really matter if you get married in a church?"

"It's important to Steve."

The other three women look at each other and Darcy runs to find Steve. She returned with him not long after.

"Whoa Wanda, what's the matter?"

"I'm sorry. I just think I am being hormonal."

"Hey, it's okay. I get that you were excited about the wedding what with the flowers and the dress."

"I don't care about that. I care about you. I mean the church that was…"

"Wanda, I would get married at the court house if that is what you wanted."

"You don't care about the church?"

"No. So long as I was marrying you at the end of the day, I don't care where the wedding happens."

"Exactly don't change what you have been planning for ages simply because a few things have changed. Besides… We might have come up with a solution," Jane explained.

"What?" asked Wanda.

"We have a canopy in Central Park, a lot of security and we have got the caterers to move the food to the Park," Darcy answered.

"Who is officiating?" asked Steve.

"I called in a favour from a judge," replied Laura. "You are going to get married today no matter what."

Steve looked at Wanda, his face asking if she was happy with that. She nodded.

-o-

"Natasha can you help zip me up?" Wanda asked. Natasha went over to help but the zip struggled somewhat.

"I'm sure this fitted you like a week ago. What have you been stress eating?"

"Can you get it up?"

"Just about. Fancy some champagne before you walk up that aisle?"

"I... Um."

Natasha blinked in confusion for a moment before putting two and two together, "Oh wow."

"Please don't say anything to anyone else. I found out a week ago."

"Does Rogers..."

"Yeah he knows."

"Congratulations." Natasha gives a smile. Inside she does feel mildly envious of the fact Wanda has the choice but she accepted her fate years ago. "You'll be a great mother."

Wanda smiled, "How do I look?"

"Really beautiful. Rogers is a lucky man."

"You look really beautiful as well." Wanda looked over the blue dress that matched Lila's flower girl dress. "I'm glad you're my maid of honour."

"Right, we need answers," Clint said walking in. "Wow, you both look beautiful."

"Thanks."

"Right so who is giving you away?" Tony asked. "You said you would tell us today."

Wanda sighed. She hadn't decided between Tony and Clint who was walking her down the aisle. On one hand, Clint was the one to snap her out of her fear in Sokovia. On the other hand, Tony had unexpectedly become the father figure she needed.

"You know what, you both can do it."

"What?" Both their faces looked at each other confused.

"I can't choose. You both have become too important to me."

"This won't be a problem will it?" Natasha looked vaguely amused.

The men looked at each other, and sort of shrugged, "We can deal with it."

"Good. Right is everyone ready?"

"Just waiting for Lila," Clint answered and at that point the little girl ran in. The bow in her hair had slipped so Natasha slipped down to fix it.

"You're dress is really pretty Auntie Nat."

"Thank you, yours is pretty as well. What about Auntie Wanda?"

"She looks pretty too."

"What about me and Uncle Tony?" asked Clint.

"You look okay."

Natasha and Wanda had to hold back a laugh. Pepper came walking in, dressed in a really nice green number that made Tony get distracted somewhat, "Car is here. We ready?"

Wanda took a deep breath and nodded.

-o-

Steve taps his foot nervously as the guests gather. Everyone had done a fantastic job in setting up the canopy.

To his surprise the officiator was Thor of all people. In all honesty he didn't care if he wasn't a priest, Thor was among his best friends and he wouldn't have it any other way.

"You nervous Cap?" asked Sam.

"He'll be fine when she's at the altar," Bucky replied. He had gotten better in the months since Rum low's attack. He looked almost back to himself and everyone had pitched in to help him. There were still moments where he would stare into the distance as though there is something missing but Wanda had been taken aback about how handsome he looked when he smiled.

The music started and Lila began to walk down the aisle, gently dropping her petals on the floor. Once Lila was sat between Pepper and Laura, the latter holding onto Nathanial Pietro, Natasha walked down, a bouquet of flowers in her hands. She gave Steve a small smile as she stood at the other side of the altar.

The guests then stood as Wanda, Clint and Tony on either arm, began to walk down towards the altar. Clint and Tony gave Rhodey a pre-emptive middle finger. Steve's breath was taken away. Wanda was in a sweetheart neckline dress that came just below her knee. She looked stunning.

Once at the altar, the men let go of Wanda, giving her a kiss on either cheek before Natasha took the flowers. The other guests sat as Thor began, "Friends, family. We're here to bear witness to the union of marriage between Steve and Wanda. Now if anyone has anything they want to say so the marriage does not go ahead, do not say anything because this marriage is going ahead. As far as I know, the couple have written their own vows. So if Steve, you could…"

"Oh right," Steve shuffled around in his pocket to grab the papers in which he wrote his vows. "Okay, Wanda. I never told you this, but I think the moment I knew was when I had to take you out of the morgue after Pietro died and you broke. I broke with you and I would have given anything in the world to make it better. I wanted to take the pain away and protect you as much as possible. Since then, you've grown so much, and I love your bravery and heart. You've given me great joy that I never thought I could have after I was defrosted. So I vow to give you my devotion and respect. My honesty, patience and forgiveness."

Wanda looked like she could cry at his words as he slipped the ring given to him by Bucky onto her finger. Pepper had to give Jane her spare handkerchief.

Thor was beaming away as he turned to Wanda, "Wanda?"

Natasha handed Wanda her papers and ring, "Steve I've spent most of my life trying to shut the world out because I was angry. All I had was my brother, and I wish he could be here today. To share this day with the friends we would have made. However I think somewhere is both proud of me and staring at you disapprovingly. Still, he would want me to be happy and I don't think I have ever been this happy, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for us. With you, me and our child. You've given me your faith and love and I vow to give you those in return. In addition, I give you my fruitfulness, my fidelity, and my joy."

Wanda slipped the wedding band onto Steve's ring finger and brushed away the tear falling from her eyes. He was smiling. She smiled back.

"By the powers invested in me, ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you Mr and Mrs Rogers. You may kiss the bride."

They didn't need more goading. Steve leaned down and pressed his lips against Wanda's.

There was nothing at that moment that could tear them apart.


	19. Premonitions

Chapter Nineteen

_Let's take it right back to where we used to go._  
_But we never look back, no we only look forward._  
 _To all the new pain and violence that we blame._  
 _No we never look back, no we only look forward._

The injuries were worse than expected.

Clint had been caught up in an explosion while he, Steve and Natasha went on search for Bruce Banner, having spotted some sort of beacon near the Philippines. They found him but it turned out that they were not the only ones. Natasha, Steve and Bruce only received minor to major burns.

Clint had been deafened by the explosion, and had quite serious burns. While the burns could be patched up by Helen Cho's synthetic-tissue technology, the loss of hearing was permanent.

"We can deal with it you know," Laura whispered, knowing Clint would not understand what she said.

"You know I can lip read right?"

"Oh. You can understand me?"

"Yeah."

"Well, they're going to fit you with some hearing aids soon."

"Do me a favour, if Stark calls me grandpa, punch him in the face for me." Laura laughed. At least Clint still had his sense of humour. She jumped through when she heard someone yelling loudly from down the hall. "What's going on?"

"I think it's Nat."

Down the hall, Natasha was laying into Bruce. Tony, Vision and Steve looked genuinely scared of what she was going to do to him.

All Bruce could say was, "Sorry."

"Really? That's all you can say?" Natasha asked loudly. "Sorry?"

"I was... I thought you deserved better Natasha."

"I said I didn't care. You've be gone for two and a half years, with everyone worried sick."

"Nat, maybe you should cool off for a few minutes," Steve suggested. Natasha took a breath as Hill led her out. "You know, Banner, what you pulled was-"

"Bad, I know. It's just after what happened in Wakanda. I'm too dangerous."

"You were not in your own mind," Vision reassured.

"Speaking of whom, how are the twins?"

"Pietro died in Sokovia."

"And Wanda."

"She's fine, though if she keeps eating my food then I can't guarantee anything," Tony replied. Bruce looked a little confused. "Cap knocked her up."

Steve rolled his eyes, "A lot has happened in the last two and a half years. You may as well come home and bear witness."

"Also, you might want to shave before Tony gets you a ball named Wilson," Vision commented.

-o-

"He's alive?" Wanda asked when Steve, Tony and Vision explained what happened. Bucky looked confused.

"Very much so," Steve replied. "Natasha nearly killed him but he's still alive."

"Who is this?" asked Bucky.

"Basically a friend of ours had an accident with some radiation and now he turns into a giant green rage monster," Tony answered.

"Which he can control by the way," Steve added.

"He decided to isolate himself for a while," Vision added.

"So what now? Do we just let him back here?" asked Wanda.

"We don't really have a choice."

"Well, we're not exactly living here for much longer so you may as well let him have our floor."

"He does have his own floor," Steve pointed out. "I think."

"Hey, I wasn't going to turn his floor into a gym. Cannot believe you would think so little of me," Tony said in false hurt.

"Listen we have to go pack anyway," Wanda said trying to push herself up but her larger than should be bump prevented her from doing that. Steve and Bucky help her up.

Given how Steve still had most of his things in boxes from having sold his apartment in D.C, the rest of the packing involved Wanda's things and a couple things for the baby.

It was done fairly swiftly, or as swiftly as could be with Wanda's belly. The size actually was a little concerning to Bruce so he asked Wanda's OB/GYN to make an appointment. That said, when the time came, Dr Ryder was unavailable so Bruce had to do it himself after being cleared for duty.

"She got called out on an emergency delivery. When was the last time you had a check-up?"

"About three months ago."

"Are you sure about the dates?" he asked pulling up the ultrasound from three months before.

"Yes."

"Okay your baby is the right size for 12 weeks but you seem to be..."

"Looking almost full term? I know I'm the size of a whale."

"It could just be that you have a larger sac of amniotic fluid though this is unusually big." Wanda lifted her top up and allowed Bruce to look at her ultrasound. "That doesn't make sense."

"What doesn't?"

"Your baby seems quite small for six months and your fluid levels seem normal. Unless..." He moved the probe to her side. "Ah gotcha."

"What is it?"

"It seems like someone was playing hide and seek. You're carrying twins."

"Twins?"

"Yeah."

"Twins?"

"Can someone get Commander Rogers up here? Do you need some water?"

"I'm good. Are you certain?" He turned the screen to show two small baby shaped shadows. "Holy shit."

"I'll just keep going until Steve gets here." Steve arrives five minutes later, a little worried. "Okay, I have good news. You are having twins."

"Wait what?"

"Jump the gun why don't you?" Wanda muttered.

"I thought we were only having the one."

"The second was hiding behind the sibling. Both are healthy though. Fraternal as well so there is no risk of twin-to-twin transfusion," Bruce explained.

"We're going to need a bigger apartment," Steve declared sitting down in the chair. "How do you feel Wanda?"

"It's nice to know I'm not giving birth to a huge baby then. Do you think we can deal with two babies?"

"We can just get another cot. I mean it won't be easy but we've faced worse than this."

"But still, that's two babies coming out of me."

"At least you won't have to get pregnant for a second time," Bruce tried to ease the situation. "Also you may have been lucky not to end up with quadruplets, given the serum Steve got and the fact that you're a twin yourself Wanda."

"I swear if there is four of them in there Steve..."

"There's just the two."

Steve took her hand, "Wanda, are you scared of giving birth?"

"If I'm honest, yes."

"Don't be, because I'm going to be there. Natasha is going to be there and so is Pepper. We're all going to be in that room, helping and supporting you okay?"

He gave her hand a squeeze. She smiled.

"Okay."

-o-

The months went and by Thanksgiving, Clint had recovered well enough and was coping with his hearing aids, Wanda was close to bursting any moment now and Natasha was still mad at Bruce. This was kind of an issue since Pepper and Laura had banned everyone from the kitchen so they all had to sit in the lounge and watch the football.

"Who are we meant to be cheering on?" asked Thor.

"Dunno," everyone murmured.

"You know, I don't care if they throw me out, I'm going to see how long the food is going to take," Natasha announced getting up.

"I'll join you," Bruce said. Natasha rolled her eyes. When they got to the elevator Bruce tried to apologise yet again.

"Right, here's the thing Banner. You were gone for two years. I accepted you were more than likely dead. This is why I don't get close to people."

"I broke your heart."

"Yeah. I do have one to break you know."

"I know. I know you were planning on leaving with me, but I did think you deserve better."

"Don't you remember back at the farm? You said that you were the monster. I am the monster out of the two of us. I kill because I have to and I have no feelings about it. It's a job at the end of the day. You actually care about who you hurt. Regardless if they are HYDRA or civilians. If anything you deserve better than me."

"Okay, I get it. Do you think you can give me a second chance?"

"I don't know."

The got to the kitchen. It would be ten minutes so they set the table together and tried to gather everyone to the dining table.

"You know what, I am thankful for: this food," Clint declared.

"Me too," said Tony and Steve.

"You know what, I'm just thankful for being back with my friends," Bruce said.

"Well, I'm just thankful that I have –" Wanda stilled all of a sudden.

"Is everything okay?" asked Steve.

"I think my waters have broken."


	20. Thank You

Chapter Twenty 

_Push the door_ _I'm home at last,  
_ _And I'm soaking through and through._   
_Then you handed me a towel,  
_ _And all I see is you._   
_And even if my house falls down now,  
_ _I wouldn't have a clue,_   
_Because you're near me._

Wanda had been in labour for ten hours before Natasha snapped at the nurse to get the anaesthesiologist to give Wanda an epidural. The woman had been crying in agony as each contraction hit.

"Nat, I'm sorry I am a wimp," Wanda moaned into Steve's shoulder as he rubbed her back.

"Hey, you're pushing two human beings out of you. You get a pass," she reassured.

"You might be able to get some sleep once they give you the epidural," Pepper suggested.

"It better," Wanda groaned as yet another contraction hit.

"Hey how are we doing in here?" asked Clint as he and Sam came in.

"Not really a good time," Steve replied.

"Are they giving you the strong stuff?" Sam asked.

"Not yet," Wanda answered, lying on her back. "Though I am beginning to regret every single time I had sex with Steve."

"Thanks Doll."

"Relax Steve. If she wasn't pushing babies out, she would be climbing all over you," Pepper commented putting a damp sponge over Wanda's forehead.

"The offer of castration is still on the table," Clint pointed out.

"Barton you've done this three times," Steve pointed out.

"Yeah well welcome to the club."

"Anyway, I bought some ice chips if you needed any," Sam said handing the cup to Natasha.

"What I need is for these kids to get the fuck out of me!" yelled Wanda.

-o-

The epidural had been given but it was only working on the one side.

"That's a bit shit," Tony said when it was his and Bucky's turn for a visit. Pepper and Natasha had gone to grab a quick snack from the vending machine.

"You try having these contractions," Wanda murmured.

In the meantime Steve was getting anxious, "I don't know what to do."

"Did you not read this in the books?" Bucky asked.

"Yes but she's in pain and I can't help her."

"Listen, you can rub her back all you can but she needs you to be the solid one out of the two of you. She's scared as well from the looks of things."

"You know what you're right."

"Hey," Bruce came in, "how are we doing?"

"Last time they checked I was seven centimetres," Wanda answered.

"Close then."

"Still could take a couple hours," Steve replied putting his hand on Wanda's forehead but then squinted suspiciously. "Wanda you're burning up."

He called for a nurse who immediately put a thermometer into Wanda's ear, "Can anyone who is not the father step out a second?" All the men but Steve left and he was then pulled aside. "Your wife has a fever. Whoever gave her the pitocin gave her too much. We have to deliver the babies right now."

"She's only seven centimetres."

"We would have to do a c-section. I just need you and your wife's consent. It is the less risky option. As soon as we get the babies out we can give Wanda some antibiotics."

"Can I just tell her?"

"Yeah."

He went over to Wanda, Bucky's advice on his mind, and took her hand, "Doll, listen to me. You have a fever and the nurse thinks that having a c-section is safer than letting you continue with labour."

"Will they be okay?" she whispered.

"I promise they'll be fine." He kissed her hand and she nodded.

"I'll go and inform the OB," the nurse said leaving. Tony, Pepper, Natasha and Bucky returned, all looking really worried.

Steve explained the situation. Pepper and Natasha agreed that Steve should be in the OR with Wanda. They were soon ushered out, Steve told to change into scrubs while Wanda was prepared for surgery.

He came out of the en-suite just as they were about to wheel her down. He took her hand and Steve suddenly got a reminder of when he found Wanda in the morgue. She looked terrified. It was only when they were in the OR that Steve sat down and spoke to her properly, "Have I ever told you how much I love your smile?"

"No."

"Well I do. It lights up my life you know seeing you happy." Steve started to pray a little, stoking her hand, her wedding band tapped over. "He's watching over us you know."

"God?"

"Your brother."

"I know."

"Okay, they are ready to start now," the nurse by her head said. Steve stroked her hand, humming the tune to Hey Jude.

-o-

The next morning, Wanda's a lot better, her wound showing no signs of infection, but she is still a little weak. As well the babies were fine and were brought to Wanda.

The nurse gently hands over the first baby, swaddled in pink. It suddenly hits Wanda that she has a daughter, and her eyes well up. She's handed the second baby, a boy who is a bit smaller than his twin. Wanda wonders for a moment if her mother felt the same way she did after she and Pietro were first handed to her.

They were just too perfect. Too perfect to have a mother like her. She had repressed so much fear during her pregnancy that she would pass on any mutations onto her children to the point where she just wants to burst out crying.

"Steve," she whispered that night, with Steve beside her in the bed.

"Yeah?"

"They'll be okay won't they? I mean what if their like me?"

"It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world."

"But-"

"Listen, we have years before that happens. Let's jump that hurdle when we reach it."

They come home two days later to find their apartment decorated with blue and pink balloons. The new parents were carrying a baby each as they were greeted by their friends.

"Oh my god, they are so cute," Pepper explained.

"Do they have names?" asked Sam.

"Yeah, this is Milena Rose Rogers," answered Steve.

"And this is James Pietro Rogers," Wanda added, most of her eye contact on Bucky.

"You named him after me?" Bucky asked.

"Yeah, and while we're on the subject, we think you should be his godfather."

"With Natasha as godmother to both," Steve added. "Within reason we chose Sam as Milena's godfather."

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah."

The new parents handed James to Bucky while Milena went to Sam. Everyone gathered around the two to get a closer look at the new additions.

"I want one," Pepper whispered.

"Tell me which one and I'll see what I can do," Tony replied.

Steve wrapped his arm around Wanda and kissed the top of her hair. He had a sense that Wanda was thinking about the person who should be here.

"You know, I'm glad it was you there that day in the morgue," she said. "Can't imagine it being anyone else."

He gave her hand a squeeze, "New memories eh?"

Wanda nodded, "New memories."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be the epilogue so thank you to those who have reviewed, viewed, followed, favourited (on FF.Net) and Kudos (on AO3)


	21. Epilogue: Hey Jude

Epilogue

_And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain._  
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders.   
For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool ~  
By making his world a little colder,   
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah.   
Hey Jude, don't let me down.   
You have found her, now go and get her.   
Remember to let her into your heart.   
Then you can start to make it better.  
The crunch of snow made by the car tires came to a halt when Wanda stopped the engine running and breathed. She was nervous. She hadn’t done this in a while and she felt kind of bad. She had her babies at home and they were taking up so much of her time that Wanda had neglecting going to see her brother. It was nearly Christmas so she really should be seeing him.

Steve was looking after the twins at home while she went to lay flowers, a mini Christmas tree and light a candle. She also had a jar prepared with a picture of the twins with two pairs of socks. Wanda gets out the car and walks her way to Pietro’s headstone. She had gotten a new one, inscribed, ' _Here Lies Pietro Django Maximoff. 1991 – 2015. Beloved Brother, Son, Uncle and Friend. “_ _The love of family and the admiration of friends is much more important than wealth and privilege”.'_

She only speaks Sokovian when she’s at the grave. It makes her feel better connected to her brother, “Hi Pietro. I’m sorry I haven’t been here in a while. I should have been down but your nephew and niece are quite the handful. They’re amazing though. I brought a picture for you. Milena, she’s so beautiful. She looks a lot like Mum. Maybe she looks like me as well. You always said I look like Mum. James, he kind of looks like Steve, He just has dark hair. He’s a handsome boy. I wish you could be there to meet them.” Wanda started crying. “I miss you so much. I miss you. I know I have Steve and I love him. I just think about you every day. Especially when there is a massive milestone. I felt like you should have been the one to give me away. You should have been there to meet Milena and James. It’s not as though I am not grateful for everyone who helped me out after you left. You know what I am so proud of what you did that day. I just wish you were still with me. What else? Tony and Pepper are adopting a little boy. He’s so cute. Daniel his name is. They didn’t want to run the risk of them not being able to conceive so they decided to foster a child for a bit. Sam is getting married to Darcy of all people. No one was expecting that one. Bruce and Nat… They tried but just wasn’t meant to be but they are still good friends. Bucky… Bucky’s back on duty. He still lives with us but I don’t mind the extra pair of hands. Thor’s gone back to Asgard because something came up. Jane got her Nobel Prize in the end. Clint and Laura they are having another kid and now Clint’s been sent to a doctor to have a vasectomy. Steve is just the best husband in the world. Been married nearly a year now. I love him so much you know. He makes me happy. I love you Pietro.”

-o-

Wanda returned home and found Steve asleep on the sofa with what looked to be Milena asleep on his chest. She smiled and lifted Milena off Steve and let her snuggle against her chest. Wanda dropped a kiss on the top of Milena’s head.

“Shh, we only just got them off,” Bucky whispered carrying a sleeping James. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah. I’m just going to put them both down to sleep.” Wanda takes Milena and Bucky follows with James and they are put in their bassinets. “Thanks James.”

“Call me Bucky Wanda. Saves confusing yourself.” He smiles and leaves.

Wanda turns to her babies, only James starts being restless and Wanda picks him up, rocking him gently, letting his tiny fist wrap around her finger, “Hey Jude. Don’t make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let her into your heart, then you can start to make it better.”

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you for the support. If there is anything else I write it might involve Wanda and Steve's honeymoon.


End file.
